Your 5 month old baby

Expect your baby to really get the hang of hand to eye coordination in the fifth month, They'll be able to hold different toys or objects of different sizes in their hand firmly, to gaze into them, to switch between their hands, and to put these objects in their mouth. So make sure the objects close to the baby's reach aren't too sharp or too small.

Your baby during this month

Uses arms to raise their chests when lying on their tummies.

Imitates sounds they hear and gestures they watch.

Grabs objects by accurately placing their hands on them and gripping them.

Sits without support for a few moments, they'll need something to support their back if you want them to sit for a longer time.

Rolls over.

Comes up with random syllables as they develop further in communication.

Does more neck movements in general, and especially when sitting up straight.

Talks gibberish to get your attention.

Laughs at different sounds they hear.

These are general developmental guidelines that are not without individual variation. Babies tend to develop at different rates with different skills, so don't over-worry when evaluating their development process. Nevertheless if you do get worried about your baby's development, we recommend you talk to your doctor who might be able to clarify distinct behavior and help you out.

Tips for you during this month

Babies that are 5 months old will enjoy squeezing, twisting, sucking, and beating their toys around. They'll enjoy practically anything that moves around, they'll like tossing balls, pushing things with their feet. Not to mention their eyes will have developed even further, which means objects of different colors or textures will catch their attention a lot more than they used to. Going out is also a good idea for your baby to start looking at different things and get excited about the world around them.

Another tip would be to help your baby recognize themselves in the mirror. By pointing and smiling at the mirror and doing different facial expressions, your baby will have his consciousness stimulated and his awareness increased.

Preparing and cooking the baby's food properly is as important as the ingredients the food has, this is why we have come up with a few tips that will help your baby get the best out of the food you make.

Groundwork:

Make sure the area you wish to prepare food on is clean.

Wash your fruits and vegetables with cold to lukewarm water, don't use any soap.

Always go for lean meats, fruits, and vegetables.

Refrain from adding sugar or salt.

Use a blender to mash your baby's food, and make sure it has the correct amount of liquid for your baby's age.

Always stir food to divide heat consistently - wait less than a minute for food prepared using the microwave, and make sure it's heated properly on all sides (including the middle of the food)

When boiling or steaming fruits or vegetables, make sure to clean out the seeds, peels and sterns, and put as little water as possible in order not to waste the vitamins the food carries.

Avoid canned goods such as meat or fish, they're not all too healthy and most have too much salt.

Storage:

You can store most cooked foods up to 48 hours, use a spoon to get the desired amount in a bowl for your baby, and leave the rest stored n the fridge for future meals.

If your baby's spoon falls into the container, we recommend you dispose the food to avoid any bacteria from forming.

If the baby doesn't finish their food, don't store it another time in the fridge, you should throw the rest away to avoid contamination.

It may be difficult to keep track of which foods have expired, and which are still eatable, for this issue we recommend you label the foods in the fridge to avoid any risk.

Never re-freeze or re-heat baby foods.

Inspect all kinds of food to make sure they're age proper for your baby.

When buying baby food from the store, make sure it pops, clicks, or does a whooshing sound when you open it, and that the center of the cover goes off. This is the sign that the food in the jar was correctly stored. Otherwise return the jar to the shop you got it from.

Did You Know?

Babies start getting the hang of using their hands by following gestures with their eyes in the fifth month. They can hold toys firmly, look at them as they're holding them, to move the toy from one hand to the other, and occasionally they'll put these toys in their mouths(better make sure they aren't too small or dangerous for babies). They'll also turn, tremor, torture, and beat their toys up at times, you can get them toys they can toss around, and you'll notice more activity with their legs and feet as they start pushing things around with them. And since their eyes are getting more refined, going out is also recommended.

This month you should try sitting with your baby in front of a mirror, by pointing at yourself and at your baby, to help them develop self-awareness. Making them realize they're an individual person like you will greatly enhance their learning skills in the coming months.